Esports was named a sanctioned sport in the state of Nebraska in 2020, and based on recent growth, powerlifting has now reached a point where they are in the same position to be sanctioned. 

The Nebraska Scholastic Activities Association considers the number of schools participating, student participation numbers, coaches’ availability, funding and costs of competitions, site availability, season of sport preferred and other factors in their decision to sanction sports.  

The one thing setting powerlifting back is that the NSAA “has not received any requests to have powerlifting sanctioned,” Associate Director Jeff Johnson said.  

Since Dennis Baker started the Central Powerlifting team in 2008, programs across “the state has had their numbers triple if not quadrupled with more schools like Lexington, Grand Island and a lot of smaller schools joining the sport,” Baker said. Since 2008 Central’s powerlifting team has taken home 11 girls’ state titles and seven state titles on the boys’ side, proving that they are an extremely successful program.  

When talking to Coach Baker about the possibility of being sanctioned in the upcoming years, Baker said, “I don’t really know what will happen in the future, I don’t really think about it because that all goes on in Lincoln.”  

Baker and other coaches should capitalize on the growth and come together to submit the proposal to the state and get powerlifting moved to a sanctioned sport.